Support



y e. e www 0 1 fw w Z 6 y Wo n 4 0 6 f f i 0 y 4 I /f 0, y g s H-, i fw6 m g F w o). Il fw m m w fr Mm 0 y 2 7 @f w f M w -WW lllll. S u [i AWI- mm T 11|. wil M m |l||l1 m w VANLRLJH A Z. s H 7U 0 M am 6 A fIf-1:izzll 21-2 hij 1 .33:1 1a|||||mral|iw .MWI 1 ly a0 \l [il n, f W lA LZ mi M i@ 4 9 1 WM. w l l II\ w m y -1K 5 m ./Ilxt W9 1950 J. s.DANIELS SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet El `Filed July 1E, 19.45

Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE SUPPORT Joseph S.Daniels, Rhinelander, Wis.

Application July 16, 1945, Serial No. 605,333

2 Claims.

This invention relates to supports and more particularly to a supportfor fuel gas tanks or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a support for fuel gastanks which will both support the tank and lock it to the support.

Another object is to provide a support which will provide a lockedenclosure for tank auxiliaries to preclude tampering with the same.

Another object is to provide a support for fuel gas tanks which willaccommodate a plurality of tanks simultaneously and tanks of differentsizes.

A further object is to provide a support for fuel gas tanks which may bemounted in relatively soft ground without need for special foundation.

Other objects will become apparent from the following specication, whichwhen taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, illustrate one form of the invention.

According to the present'invention, the support comprises a post, aplatform on the post, adapted to support and retain the lower end of afuel gas tank, an auxiliary housing hinged to the upper end of the post,and means to lock the housing to retain the gas tank on the support.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of one form of the support comprisingthe present invention, with certain parts thereof being broken away tomore clearly illustrate certain other parts;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail View taken on the line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the support, partly incross-section;

Fig. 5 is a top view looking down on the support, with parts broken awayand in section;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail View of a bracing Spud; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse cross-section of spud viewed as indicated at l-lin Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the fuel gas tank support comprises a hollowmetallic post l 0, preferably square in cross-section and provided witha pointed lower end adapted to `he driven into or buried in the ground.A collar I2 is mounted on the post iii and either permanently fixed tothe post I0 as by welding or limited in downward movement as by a pinlf3.- passing through the post on which the collar is adapted to rest.

The collar l 2 is secured to and supports a horizestal shelf le bracedby a spider i8. The upper surface of `the shelf I6 close to the rimthereof, on the sides and in the rear, is provided with a plurality ofupstanding tabs 20 formed thereon and lying on the periphery of a circlethe inside diameter of which is substantially the same as the exteriordiameter of the base of a standard fuel gas storage tank 24.

Spaced slightly inwardly from the rear tabs 20 are retaining tabs 20Alikewise secured to the shelf I6 the same being located so as to fallwithin the rim of the base of a standard gas storage tank 24. By reasonof this arrangement the tabs are adapted to retain the lower end of thetank in the desired position on the shelf positively precluding thesliding of the tank base with respect to the shelf I6 when the tank 24is in 'normal position. A tank 24 in forward tilted position, however,may be easily slid onto or off of the shelf l5 to facilitate handling oftanks during replacement. As soon as a tank 24 has been slid whiletilted to the proper location on shelf I6 and then brought to uprightposition, it becomes held against further horizontal movement asdescribed.

The upper end of the post l0 is provided with a plate 26 which is fixedto the rear face of the post l0 opposite the shelf i6, and forms a backfor an auxiliary box or housing generally designated 30. The box 3Bcomprises a top 32 hinged to the back plate 26, a pair of ends 33 and 34fixed to the top 32, and a front plate 35 fixed to one edge of each ofthe ends :i3-34 and to the front edge of the top 32. The bottom of thebox 3D is left open so far as need be to accommodate the upstanding topsof the tanks 24.

A bar 36 is secured to the post l0 and is adapted to project through ahole 3l in the front 35 of the box 30. A padlock 33 may be 1ockedthrough a hole in the bar 3B to maintain the box 3l] locked on the tanks24 and prevent unauthorized removal of the tanks. To preclude tamperingwith auxiliaries contained in the box 30 by access gained from beneath,bar 36 is preferably extended laterally in the form of wings 36A securedto the lower margin of back plate 26, although the bar alone without thewings 36A serves to preempt adequate hand space thus discouraging allbut the most persistent tamperers.

A bracket generally designated 40 (Figs. 2 and 3) has a horizontalmounting loop 42 formed integrally with a pair of spaced vertical legs44 adapted to bear against the exterior of the back plate 26 of the h-ox30, and a third leg 45, spaced from the legs 4d which projects inwardlythrough the back plate 2E and then Vextends downwardly within theinterior of the post l0 to a U-shaped 3 foot at its lower extremity. Thebracket 40 is held in position by a screw 48 which extends to theinter-lor oi post it as shown in Fig. 2. The bracket 49 may be used tosecure a signalling device to indicate when a tank is empty and readyfor replacement, particularly in cases where automatic change overbetween tanks is provided by appropriate auxiliaries contained withinbox 30.

In normal use where tanks 24 are used to supply fuel gas, auxiliaries tobe housed will include pressure reducing valves and in certain casesautomatic change over mechanism which disconnects an empty tank andshirts the connection to a previously unused tank. Such devices arepreferably supported independently of the tanks themselves so that theyneed not be disturbed when tanks are changed. To provide for suchindependent support a universal mounting bracket 59 having verticallyextending attachment slots as shown is held in place on the post i9within the box 30 at its upper end by a screw 48 previously describedand by a similar screw 663 at its lower end. In this way different typesof pressure reducing valves and change over devices may be mounted byreason oi the scope ci adjustment allowed by the attachment slots.Piping extending outwardly from the box 30 may pass downwardly therefromthrough openings in the bottom of the box and thence downwardly alongthe post l0.

The fuel gas tank support may at times be erected in soft or loose soil,and if so, it may be necessary to supply additional support. Toaccomplish this the lower end of the post I9 is v provided withhorizontal apertures 58 and 59 y,

spaced from each other in which angle iron spud braces 60 and 6l may beinserted. The ends of the angle iron braces 60 and 6l may be attached tospuds 83 (Figs. 6 and 7) by means of 'tabs punched from the spuds andcontacting the angle various changes in shape, size and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

That which is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by LettersPatent is:

1. A support for holding captive a fuel gas tank having a downwardlyprojecting circular rim at its lower end and an upwardly projectingvalve tting'at its upper end which comprises supporting base for saidgas tank, upstanding retaining means on said base adapted to engage thesides and rear of the bottom rim of said gas tank and the inside of therear of said rim when said tank is in position on said base adapted tofacilitate positioning of said tank on said base by movement of saidtank from a forward tilted position to an upright position and torestrain lateral movement of the bottom of said tank when in `uprightposition, a vertical post rigidly associated with said base, an upwardlyopening openbottomed protecting box hingedly attached to the upper partof said post adapted to occupy a closed position bearing upon the top ofsaid gas tank and enclosing said valve fitting and swingable to an openposition permitting tilting of the top of said gas tank, and lockingmeans adapted to lock said box in closed position whereby unauthorizedremoval of said tank may be precluded.

2. In a bottom support adapted for use in connection with a mounting fora gas cylinder having a rimmed base which support includes an `uprightpost and a cap secured to the upper end of the post for retaining theupper end of a gas cylinder the combination comprising a horizontallower shelf member, means for securing said shelf member to said postnear the lower end thereof, external side and rear upstanding rimretaining means secured to said shelf member in position to externallyembrace the sides and rear f' ol the rimmed base of a gas cylinder,internal rim retaining means adapted to restrain forward removal of agas cylinder disposed on said shelf member comprising upstanding meanssecured to said shelf member in position near the rear thereof andspaced inwardly from the rear retaining means a distance suiiicient toaccommodate the thickness of the base rim of a gas cylinder, the forwardportions of said shelf member constituting an unobstructed cylindersliding face free of upward projections which would obstruct the slidingof a gas cylinder base in engagement with said shelf member with thecylinder in tilted position.

JOSEPH S. DANIELS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Barr May 14, 1912 Farling June 4, 1912Eilers Apr. 9, 1929 Cutter Dec. 22, 1931 Scruton Jan. 19, 1932 AndersonJan, 11, 1938 Double July 11, 1939 Charnock Nov. 12, 1940 Anderson Mar.31, 1942 Johnson Aug. 4, 1942 Pierson Mar. 16, 1943 Anderson Dec. 28,1943 Number

